Employee alleges Coastal Chemical did not pay overtime wages

Kurtis Rooks, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated, filed the lawsuit Feb. 3 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against Coastal Chemical Co. LLC of Dallas.

According to the complaint, instead of paying Rooks time-and-a-half overtime, Coastal Chemical paid all of its land technicians a base salary and bonuses.

The suit says the plaintiff worked for Coastal from March 2012 through June 2015. During that time, the defendant employed many land technicians throughout the country to maintain the wells of its oil and gas clients and provide related chemical, technical and logistical services, the suit says. Although exact job titles differ, these employees were subjected to the same or similar illegal pay practices for similar work, the suit says.

The suit states the FLSA was violated when the plaintiff and the class worked longer than 40 hours a week without compensation beyond those 40 hours.